SACRAMENTO, CA (July 17, 2012) – California Governor Jerry Brown Jr. this week is expected to sign the High-Speed Rail funding bill (SB 1029) at events at the Los Angeles Union Station and at the Transbay Transit Center Construction Site in San Francisco.

Below is a statement by Annie Notthoff, California Advocacy Director at the Natural Resources Defense Council:

“This is a major step forward for the project, and SB 1029 is clear evidence of the commitment of the Governor Brown and Legislative leaders to make high-speed rail a reality in California. It is no secret that there remain outstanding questions about management of the project and its costs. We will continue working with the Brown administration to address these issues to ensure that the project meets its environmental promise without taking any shortcuts. The High-Speed Rail Authority should now work with all interests and deliver a project that can enjoy the same level of broad public support that came together to pass Proposition 1A.”

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 1.4 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.